It might not prove to be the best course of action for his own team, but Houston DE Antonio Smith, a close friend of Mario Williams, has decided he’s going to try to rile up the Bills pass rusher for this week’s game.

“Houston fans, don’t get mad at me, but I’m going to pump him up too, talk all kind of (stuff),” Smith said. “I’m gonna tell him (offensive tackle) Duane Brown been talking bad about him. I’m gonna get him mad. I just want to see what happens.”

Buffalobills.com asked Mario Williams after Thursday’s practice if Smith had called him.

“Yeah,” said Williams of his good friend and former teammate. “We talk almost every day.”

Williams explained that the two of them talk trash a lot and that there has already been some give and take. We’ll see if the chatter makes any difference on Sunday.

With teammates like Kurt Warner, Karlos Dansby and fellow DE Bertrand Berry likely higher on Arizona’s priority list this offseason, DE Antonio Smith may be out there for the taking. Smith is set to turn 28 next October and is not exactly a sack fiend, but some NFL talent evaluators believe he’s yet to reach his peak.

I’m not saying he’s the answer for the Bills pass rushing problems, but he is a free agent that is expected to be on the market and he does fit the age profile of Buffalo’s past free agents as Buffalo during Dick Jauron’s tenure likes to sign players with experience that still have 4-5 years of prime football left in them.

Here’s the latest installment of Fan Friday. As most of you know by now you can email your questions to me at AskChris@bills.nfl.net. I try to respond to everyone either personally or here on Fan Friday.

1. Chris,
Do you think the Bills will sign a veteran QB in the off-season. I realize that Trent has not done terrible job, but he has not exactly done a good job. It seems like the game is moving too fast for him still and he doesn’t anticipate his receivers, he waits for them to be open, then throws it, and by the time the ball gets there the window is already closed. Also, I wonder if he’s the long term solution for this team considering he’s always nicked up and doesn’t play well in cold weather. Please tell me this team is going to get a play maker at QB like McNabb, Bills fans need some hope after this season.

CB: I don’t think a playmaker like Donovan McNabb is realistic because those kinds of players are usually not out on the free agent market. You usually have to give up something significant for that kind of talent. The Bills will be in the market for a backup quarterback because J.P. Losman will be looking for opportunities elsewhere.

I’ve stated a few times that I think Byron Leftwich might be the best available free agent this offseason. I say that because Kerry Collins only wants to be a starter, and he’s also a free agent. Now Leftwich might be able to find an opportunity where he’ll be given the chance to start (e.g. Chicago) and that would make Buffalo far less attractive, where I’m assuming only the backup job will be what’s offered.

So to expect to see some juggernaut QB get signed to play the role of backup is unrealistic as I see it. You may have to settle for a Ryan Fitzpatrick (who I like), Chris Simms or some other veteran that is accustomed to the backup role and would be more accepting of it.

2. Hey Chris,

A while back on Fan Friday you said something about we can’t compete for Haynesworth or Suggs in the offseason. My question is why not considering other teams sign a big player almost every year, we never really sign a player like that. Also who do you think we can bring in during free agency considering we need another good DE to get to the QB. And do you think we can spend the money to bring in Kurt Warner. We need a better QB that can throw touchdowns. Kurt Warner is a leader, that can throw a lot of TDs, Trent Edwards really doesn’t.

The needs as I see them are all over the board, but the biggest two are QB and DE

-Showtime

CB: I don’t disagree that there are several needs. Perhaps I should have been more clear with respect to Haynesworth and Suggs. First of all, I don’t think Haynesworth hits the market. He’s too vital for the Titans to let him go. I think Suggs could get away with Bart Scott and Ray Lewis also set to become free agents for Baltimore. Suggs would arguably cost the most due to the higher price tag for pass rushers.

The reason I don’t think the Bills will be able to compete for Suggs is there will be a number of teams competing for him on the free agent market if he gets there. The Bills historically don’t like to get into bidding wars for players, and there will be numerous bidders for Suggs. I’d be very happy with Bart Scott though to upgrade the linebacking unit.

3. Chris,
I recently heard that JP Losman will not be returning to the Bills next season because of another poor showing during this past season. Do you think any other team in the NFL would pick him up because of that reason? Thanks.

Jim Brown
Lancaster, NY

CB: It has less to do with his poor showing and more to do with the fact that he’s an unrestricted free agent. Losman also wants to pursue an opportunity where he’ll have a legitimate chance to compete for a starting job.

Even though there are NFL teams in need of quarterback help, in light of how he performed this past season when called upon, I’m not confident he’ll be able to get such an opportunity. I think he’ll have to accept a backup job and hope he gets another shot. He’d be wise to go to a team with an offense that suits his strengths, which is making plays on the run and throwing downfield.

4. Hey Chris,

What’s up with all the criticism of Poz lately? People on the message board are calling him a bust, you yourself said you’re “willing to give him another year.” What are people expecting from this guy that we aren’t getting? The dude is in on practically every tackle and there are way weaker positions on this defense than MLB. Why aren’t people calling out a guy like Keith Ellison or Chris Kelsay instead?
-Muzz

CB: I was puzzled by the negativity over Poz too. I think those people that saw Poz play at Penn State were a bit spoiled because he not only made the routine plays, but the big ones as well, a lot of them. Now in the pros those big plays have been fewer and further between and people that saw him play in college think something is wrong. I personally think those big plays will become more and more frequent in year three. In essence this past season was his rookie year after playing all of 2 1/2 games in 2007. He was usually a half step away from making a lot of big plays in 2008. He said himself he wants to make more big plays and no one puts in more time in the offseason than this guy. I really believe it’ll come. Keep the faith.

5. Hey Chris,
I agree with your assessment of drafting a pass rushing defensive end. Who would you like to see in a Buffalo Bills uniform?

What the Bills need to do with the tight end position, Do you think we should draft, sign a FA, or get the current ones more involved?

God Bless The Buffalo Bills!

Alex – San Juan, P.R.

CB: First, I’d appreciate it if you could send some of your gorgeous weather up this way. We’re freezing our rears off in Buffalo today. Now back to business.

As I’ve said I’d like to see the Bills use their top pick on a pass rusher. I was very impressed from what I’ve seen from Everette Brown (FSU) and Brian Orakpo (Texas) this year. What I like about them is their brute strength, which will be important at the pro level when it comes to standing in there against the run.

I would like to do a little more research on them before definitively stating that I think they’re the best fit for the Bills. There are some other candidates as well.

If the Bills elect to go the free agent route, I’m concerned because I don’t see them winning a bidding war for Julius Peppers or Terrell Suggs as I stated above. The young free agent talent at DE is not overly impressive. Chauncey Davis had four sacks lining up opposite John Abraham. Antonio Smith had 3.5 sacks lining up opposite Bertrand Berry (who is also a FA, but on the downside) and Corey Smith (Detroit) isn’t much to get excited about either. That’s why I think the draft is the best route to take.

As for tight end the only free agent I’d consider this offseason is Bo Scaife (Tennessee). He had a productive year (58-561-2 TDs) though he’s not going to stretch the field and he’s not any bigger or better for that matter than Schouman or Fine. But his numbers have improved the last couple of years. But if the right game-breaking prospect is on the board in the second or third round (Chase Coffman – Missouri?) I’m not opposed to going that route at all.